RD Extra Brut

When I tasted Bollinger's brilliant Grande Année in this vintage, I tried to imagine how good the 2008 Extra-Brut RD would be, as the style of the vintage is an almost perfect match for this cuvée. Four years later, we have the answer, and the wine is brilliant. Disgorged in 2022, it is more restrained from the start than the dramatic Grande Année on its release, unfolding in the glass with notes of crisp fruit trees, orange peel, freshly baked bread, subtle notes of fino sherry, wet stones and macadamia nut. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied, with a deep fruit core enlivened by racy acids and a refined, spot-on mousse, finishing with a bone-dry finish. Extremely harmonious and full of youthful energy, it is the finest RD of the decade and one that richly rewards a bit of extra age on cork. Stylistically, the comparison with the 1996 is most obvious, but the 2008 is more integrated and harmonious upon release. These bottles were disgorged at the end of last year with a dosage of three grams per litre.